You don't sound fine
by SugarBubbles2000
Summary: A rewrite of a scene from Episode 5 of the 2010 TellTale game where Young!Emmett and Marty are talking outside the Expo hall. Very light Emmett/Marty (Mammett) themes, shipping goggles would be required to see it.


"Come on! There's no time to lose!" Emmett exclaimed in the midst of his scientific rambling.

The image of Citizen Brown disappearing in his arms from entire existence appeared in Marty's head yet again. He was surprised how he was able to keep conversation with Emmett without him even batting an eye. Though he was slowly finding it hard to keep up his good-natured expression.

 _I'll get you to a hospital, Doc. You're going to be okay..._

 _Yes... Ooh, I think I am going to be okay... Marty..._

 _No... Doc... Come back..._

He felt tears stinging the back of his eyes. Hugging his arms across his chest, he instinctively turned away from the scientist - probably to hide his clear distress.

"Let's go back to the lab and..." Emmett trailed off before he turned around and took notice of Marty's oddly quiet form.

His excited smile dropped. Though he couldn't exactly see Marty, he knew better that something was clearly wrong if he wasn't directly facing him and interacting. "Oh I'm sorry... Is something wrong?" he quietly asked, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck, embarrassed that he let himself get ahead without even paying attention to his newly best friend. _Some friend you are._

Marty turned part of his body to look back. _Well if you count seeing your best friend's life drain away from you and fade out of existence in your arms because you changed his past to affect his future, then of course_. Now how was he able to explain that to this Emmett who had little idea about how time travel works?

"Nothing. I-I'm fine." Marty said curtly, violently trying to control his voice as the threatened tears rolled down his cheeks. _That's probably the worst lie you've ever said in the history of lies. All you've ever said to him is blatant lies. Why can't you be at least a little more upfront with the poor guy?_

"...You don't _sound_ fine." Emmett said quietly, his voice sounding a little nearer as he approached him, albeit slowly.

Marty didn't answer him, feeling waves of guilt overtake him, as Emmett presumably registered that he, again, was lying.

The young scientist took a few steps closer to the shorter boy and lightly grasped his brown jacket sleeve on his arm. "Marty." He pulled it gently. "Something clearly has-"

The small force turned Marty around to almost face him directly, his sodden face was now completely visible to Emmett.

He stopped mid-sentence and was reduced to staring wide-eyed back at him.

Marty sucked in a hasty breath, breaking eye contact and averting his gaze. "Someone close to me.. Passed away."

 _That was a good start, at least._ It was half true, if you count disappearing as dying.

"Oh... How sad. Someone I know?"

 _Oh God, someone you know very well._ "Carl Sagan."

"Oh.. Funny, I was just speaking to him a while ago."

"Yeah.. He fell into cardiac arrest and.. That was it. But don't worry." Marty said, wiping a tear away and sniffling. "It's got nothing to do with you." he said looking back at Emmett.

"...What?" He shrugged his shoulders, noticing the unreadable expression Emmett was giving him.

"You always do that."

"Do... what?"

"Avoid talking about yourself. It's always about me. Frankly I haven't a clue about who you are and what you're doing here, which I would love to learn more about. I may not be the greatest friend I could be to you, but just know that you don't need to keep things from me that are affecting you. I'll be more than happy to listen."

"... I know, Emmett. Thank you for that. I'd do exactly the same. But, this- this just doesn't concern you-"

He smirked, cutting Marty off. "I know for a fact that it certainly is. It _does_ have something to do with me..."

"Emmett, no, don't-" Marty started, slowly unable to deal with the pain of keeping his time travelling as a secret, especially when the younger version of his best friend is obliviously hinting at it.

"Hey, what's this? _Local scientist gains-_ " Emmett stooped down to pick up the suspicious newspaper article laying on the ground, which Marty immediately snatched out of his hand before he could read any more of the headline.

"C-come on! Lemme see!" Emmett whined, his hands making futile attempts to reach out to Marty's arms tucked behind his back. "I deserve an explanation!" He scowled, stubborn hands placed on his hips.


End file.
